day 92. a few hours of sleep, a new number and thoughts of the future.

in the whole scheme of things, i don't have too much time on this side of the planet. it really feels weird to be on the other side of the world and start making plans for halloween on the American west coast. it feels weird to think that i only have 13 days here in australia. like this trip, the clock is ticking and i don't have too much time to sleep.

after a few hours of sleep at chilli's backpackers, five to be exact, i got up took a steaming-piping-hot 20 min shower. then i walked the desolate streets of darwin to find an overpriced hamburger and beer. (btw, everything has the name backpackers in it.. i'll show you in the photos.) after a bit of scrumming, i found a vodafone shop, plopped down $30 ASD and ticked off to watch a glorious sunset.

if anyone wants to call or txt me, feel free to ring +61.404.653.631. it will soon be the only way to contact me in OZ. (i love that it's called OZ. some how i want to look to my left and see a bunch of flying monkeys and on my right a few munchkins.)

as for today's planning, the next few days seem to be more expensive than anticipated. (btw, will the fourking US dollar get back up there!?! it's really killing me that it is as cheep as the canadian dollar. btw, if you're not watching the news, one of the reason why the US stock market is really the US stock rocket, because it's cheep to play in a stock market when your "foreign" currency get's a two for one deal. ) darwin is kinda of a backpacker's trap and a drunk's heaven. everything is twice the appropriate cost. maybe it's a healthy economy. maybe it's the low population. none-the-less, i want to get out as quickly as possible but my options are limited.

1. i can hitchhike and run the risk of standing out in 110° heat for hours only to end up in a ditch under a few feet of soil. (most adventurous option)
2. i can take a bus for $700 dollars and spend 5 days on the road to Adelaide. (most outrageous option)
3. i can train south to Adelaide for $300 - 800 and spend 4 days winding through the country. (most romantic option)
4. i can fly for $200 - 300. (most sensible, least tourist option)
5. i can get "creative" and flyer every backpacker hotel/hostel/rv camp. then cross my fingers and find something suitable. (most idealist option)

note to anyone else planning this type of journey. DO NOT LIVE OFF OF A SCHEDULE! don't get me wrong, i love this trip. i love this journey. i love the people (well except for the mid-20 year old buxum, blond ozzy travel agent who looked at me and point blankly "ewww, indians!?! what do they eat? rat?!! i don't like them because they miss treat their animals."). i love the heat. i love the adventure, but at the same time i feel that my adventure is coming to a bit of a plateau.

now that i'm back in a "civilized" "culture" the luxury of walking into a supermarket (which i also did today) seemed so tame. i no longer have to doge mosquitos, flies, scooterist, bad fruit, bad meat, hawkish vendors and pickpockets. nope, now it's a world of "q's" and canned pees. oh the woes of coming back to "civilization"